Case of T.F.

YELP students Adanna Love (’11) and Stephanie Ahmad (’11) represented a seventh grade student, T.F., in expulsion proceedings after she was found in possession of a small amount of marijuana. T.F.'s school initiated expulsion proceedings, which would have removed T.F. from the only school she has attended since kindergarten. The clinic students realized that removing T.F. from this environment would be potentially catastrophic for her, given her struggle to succeed academically thus far.

Once the clinic became involved the school began to back down, and changed the expulsion proceedings to a mandatory mediation meeting. At the mediation, the students preserved the student’s right to present evidence at a future hearing, and successfully argued that T.F. should return to school immediately. Even though the principal of the school recommended that T.F. be placed on independent study (and removed from the school), the administrative panel decided that T.F. should return to school the following week. Adanna and Stephanie subsequently met with the Principal and T.F. to sign her behavior contract, which incorporated all of the terms requested by the clinic, many of which offer services to T.F. that will support her future academic success. T.F. was allowed to return to seventh grade, and to continue her academic education.